2nd Sunday of Advent

 

Second Sunday of Advent: 

The Rough Edge of Prophecy

Prophets don’t come into our lives every day, and they don’t always make the sort of impression that John the Baptist and the biblical prophets must have made. But if we begin to understand how they experienced God, we might begin to see that even we ourselves have moments of prophetic insight. Prophets are gifted with an intense personal awareness of God’s love for his people. Their call both inspires and compels them to preach this word to those who will listen—and to those who close their ears.

 

St. Francis’s sharper edges have been somewhat softened by time and the popular imagination. But he would have understood John the Baptist. Francis accepted somewhat reluctantly the pope’s command to the Lesser Brothers to preach the Word of God as they wandered the street. Once he accepted that call, he didn’t hesitate to call people to repentance. But he always tempered his words with the mercy and love of God.

 

We must bring forth therefore fruits befitting repentance (Luke 3:8) and love our neighbors as ourselves. Anyone who will not or cannot love his neighbor as himself should at least do him good and not do him any harm. Those who have been entrusted with the power of judging others should pass judgment mercifully just as they themselves hope to obtain mercy from God. For judgment is without mercy to him who has not shown mercy (James 2:13). We must be charitable, too, and humble, and give alms…. We lose everything which we leave behind us in this world; we can bring with us only the right to a reward for our charity and the alms we have given.